The illustrious surname Babbingtum is classified as a habitation surname, which was originally derived from a place-name, and is one form of surname belonging to a broader group called hereditary surnames. Habitation names were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Topographic names, form the other broad category of surnames that was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree.

Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came. Babbingtum is a place-name from in Northumberland. There is a Babbington in Nottinghamshire as well. The place-name is derived from the Old English personal nameBabba, with the addition of the suffix tun, and Old English word that means farm or enclosure. Later, tun came to mean village, fortress, and then town. The literal translation of the place-name is "farm that belongs to Babba."

Early Origins of the Babbingtum family

The surname Babbingtum was first found in Northumberland at Babington where they held estates in the reign of King John. [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print. From this line, they moved into Nottinghamshire and later to Somerset where we find today the parish in the union of Frome, hundred of Kilmersdon. In 1233, the area was known as Babington Parish. According to one source, "there are reasons for believing that they resided there from the period of the Conquest or before it." [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print. One branch of the family was first found at Little Bavington in Northumberland. "Bavington Hall, the residence of the present representative of that family, is a handsome mansion surrounded with fine plantations." [3]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Early History of the Babbingtum family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Babbingtum research.Another 275 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1370, 1400, 1689, 1691, 1569, 1615, 1691, 1612, 1669, 1660, 1561 and 1586 are included under the topic Early Babbingtum History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Babbingtum Spelling Variations

Since the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules, Breton surnames have many spelling variations. Latin and French, which were the official court languages, were also influential on the spelling of surnames. The spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. Therefore, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England after the Norman Conquest, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. The name has been spelled Babbington, Babington, Babinton, Babbingtone, Bappington, Bapinton, Bappintone and many more.

Early Notables of the Babbingtum family (pre 1700)

Notable of this family during the Middle Ages was Sir William Babbington; Francis Babington D.D. (aka Francis Babbington, died 1569), an English divine and an academic administrator at the University of Oxford; Humfrey Babington, D.D. (ca. 1615-1691), an English Anglican divine; Matthew Babington (1612-1669), an English lawyer and politician... Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Babbingtum Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Babbingtum family to the New World and Oceana

Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Babbingtum, or a variant listed above: Michael Babbington who settled in Virginia in 1635 and Thomas Babbington who arrived in Jamaica in 1679.

The Babbingtum Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.